Canon PowerShot SX700 HS review: 30x travel zoom overflows with features

Canon sticks to the tried-and-true formula of more megapixels and more zoom for the PowerShot SX700 HS.

If you're looking for more than just a simple snapshot experience from a compact zoom camera, the Canon PowerShot SX700 HS should be on your short list, despite a couple shortcomings.

Along with its 30x zoom lens, the Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has fun and useful shooting options; built-in Wi-Fi with NFC; a high-resolution LCD; and excellent shooting performance and daylight photo and video quality.

Its low-light (high-ISO) photos could be better and while its battery life is noticeably better than that of its predecessor, you'll still want to keep an extra battery handy for all-day shooting; Canon could have done more with the camera's NFC.

Canon PowerShot SX700 HS Review

The Canon PowerShot SX700 HS ($349.99) is a compact camera that packs a 30x zoom lens and a 16-megapixel image sensor, but is still small enough to slide into most pockets. It's got a big, sharp rear LCD, Wi-Fi, and controls that let you take full manual control over your photography. These features are matched note for note by our Editors' Choice Nikon Coolpix S9700( at Amazon). The S9700 edges out the SX700 when pushed to ISO 800 and adds in-camera GPS, but aside from those differences two cameras are quite similar. Design and Features The SX700( at Amazon) is a little bulkier than your average point and shoot, but it's pretty compact when you consider that it packs a 30x (25-750mm f/3.2-6.9 equivalent) zoom lens. It measures 2.6 by 4.4 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 9.5 ounces. Canon offers it in red or black, and there's a modest front handgrip that does its job in making the camera comfortable to hold. Its size is about average for a long zoom camera of this type; the Panaso...

The Canon PowerShot SX700 HS has a 30x lens and a lot of features, but image quality suffers in low light.

Sharp lens; Controls noise through ISO 800; 2.5fps image capture; Creative Shot function; 30x zoom range; Sharp rear LCD; Wi-Fi; 1080p60 video

Pricey; Detail suffers at very high ISOs; Limited control when using Creative Shot